The Time Chaser
by Merlindamage
Summary: Harry is accidentaly transported back to just before one of the most important days in the Magical World's history. He has choices to make that will not only effect him, but everyone else. Watch as he tries to right wrongs and figure out a way to get back
1. Chapter 1

An eerie fog crept over the dirty river. Several streets of identical brick were lined up, giving the feeling that they were never ending. The full moon hung low and partially hidden in the starless sky. Litter filled grass was currently being trampled by three youths.

"Harry," came the frantic voice of Hermione Granger, "do you really think that we can defeat Snape? I mean, none of us have learned Occlumency yet, and you said it yourself; he knows what spells we're going to do before we use them."

"She's right, you know," came the voice of Harry's other best friend, Ron Weasley. "Just because there's three of us doesn't mean anything."

Harry inwardly groaned. He knew that Hermione was right, and that Ron was only agreeing with her because he was trying to get back in her good graces after he had abandoned them so long ago. "We need to get information from Snape," Harry explained. "We don't necessarily have to defeat him, so much as subdue him."

Hermione sighed. She knew how stubborn Harry could be. "Fine," she agreed. "Can we just go over the plan one more time?"

"Hermione, we've gone over it like a thousand times now," Ron said. He opened his mouth to speak, but was silenced by a look from Hermione.

"No, she's right, Ron," Harry agreed and he stopped in his tracks. "We don't have any room for mess ups."

The three went over the plan that they had practiced many times before. Hermione had come up with many things that could go wrong, and the plan had to be changed many times. The final plan was for them to approach the house quietly and under the invisibility cloak. Hermione would cast an anti-apparition charm on the house, which would also keep them from going anywhere. They would then open the front door, effectively disrupting the wards and allowing Snape to know that someone was intruding. If he was in he first room they entered, Harry would stay under the cloak to keep the element of surprise while Ron and Hermione kept him busy while attacking him magically. Harry would then tackle him, hopefully knocking him unconscious. There wasn't really much glamour in the plan, but hopefully it would work.

"Are you sure on what you have to do?" Harry asked his friends.

"Harry, if we go over it again, I'll lose my mind," Ron joked, trying to ease the tension.

"I just need to make sure we're ready," Harry reminded them. "We only get one shot at this. If we mess up, well…" he finished. He did not need to remind them what would happen if they failed.

Quietly they approached the run down cottage that housed the murderer. They had been doing a lot of spying lately and had found out this is where he lived. They had watched him go in, and in they had been watching, no one had come out.

Once they were in distance, Hermione kneeled down and cast the Anti-Apparation jinx. She checked to make sure it had worked. Once they got up to the door, it was Harry's turn.

"Alohomora," he whispered from under the invisibility cloak. The door lock clicked and they were surprised that it was so easy to just enter.

Pushing the door open, they entered into what appeared to be a sitting room.

"I don't see anyone," said Ron. His voice was just barely above a whisper.

"_Homenum Revelio_" Harry whispered. The spell revealed that down below them was one person, whom they anticipated to be Snape. "Let's go," said Harry, spotting a stair case, half hidden by a book shelf.

Half way to the staircase, Harry stopped. "Wait," he said. "I have an idea."

"No," said Hermione defiantly. "We're not changing the plan."

"No, Hermione, listen," Harry pleaded. "If I go without the cloak on, Snape will think I'm alone. But if you two stay under the cloak, then we've definitely got the element of surprise."

His two best friends seemed to be trying to find something wrong with the plan. Though they did not like the idea of Harry putting himself at risk, they knew that if they acted quickly enough no harm would come of Harry.

"Fine," Hermione agreed. "But for the record, I don't like this plan."

"Of course you don't," Harry said, "you wouldn't be Hermione if you did."

They walked slowly down the stairs, Harry leading them. They reached the front door and Harry took a deep breath. "One chance," he whispered to his friends. He could hear his own heart beating in his ears and knew that his friends' were doing the same.

"Reducto," Harry shouted at the door. It exploded as he rushed in the room. He felt the invisibility cloak brush his leg as Hermione and Ron passed him.

"Potter," Snape said. His back was to them, and he was muttering over a cauldron of a pure white liquid. "Are Granger and Weasley here as well? Under that cloak of yours, I presume."

Harry fired off a spell, and at the same time, so did Hermione and Ron. Snape, moving like lightning, conjured a shield. The shock of the three spells on the shield knocked Snape backwards, knocking over the cauldron that he had been working on.

"No…you fool," he muttered. Snape's eyes bulged in anger.

Harry continued to fire off spells while Hermione and Ron tried to work themselves closer to him. Suddenly, their position was revealed as Ron stepped on the front of the cloak, pulling it forwards and off of them.

"Harry!" Hermione screamed. "Get him!"

Harry, thinking like a Quidditch player, decided that he would have to remove Snape's wand from him by brute force. Throwing caution to the wind, Harry rushed Snape.

He grabbed at the man's robe's and trying to wrestle his wand from his hand. Snape pushed Harry hard, and the boy's foot was in the liquid that Snape had knocked over. He thought that he would simply slip, but was shocked when instead of feeling anything solid beneath the liquid, his foot and whole body fell through the floor. The last things he heard were Hermione and Ron yelling his name.

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_Darkness_.

Harry stirred, his head throbbing, and his glasses askew. He opened his eyes and looked around.

"Where am I?" he asked, looking around wildly, talking to himself. He was in a field of grass, and none of the scenery looked familiar. There was a chill in the air, much more than there should have been for a spring day.

He looked around, finding his wand a few feet away. He tried to get a bearing of where he was, but could not tell. He saw no signs of either Ron or Hermione, or even Snape for that matter. The last thing he had remembered was falling through a hole at Snape's house.

He did not know where to go, as there was no contingency plan between them in the case of what would happen if they got separated. He did not know where to go, as he knew that they Weasley's were being watched and Hogwarts was off limits. He decided to try and go back to Andromeda's home, as he guessed some member of the Order would be there.

Appearing in front of the home, he looked around, noticing that a lot had changed at the residence in the few months since he had been there. He hoped that someone had been home and that the place had not been abandoned. It was far too easy for him to apparate to the residence. He decided that the best method was to knock on the door. If there were Death Eaters home, they would only expect a Muggle to use doors in such a manor.

After knocking, he waited. Someone would come to the door, he thought. He was quite shocked when a little girl opened the door.

"'ello," she said. She appeared to be about seven or eight years old. But the part that had shocked Harry the most was the fact that her hair had changed color twice since she had opened the door.

"Hello?" said Harry awkwardly, looking down at the bubble gum pink haired youth.

"Can I help you?" the little girl asked and Harry noticed that both of her two front teeth were missing.

"I'm looking for Tonks," Harry said, smiling weakly.

"Well," said the little girl brightly, "you're gonna have to be a bit more pacific about who, cuz nuttin' but Tonks' live here."

"I'm looking for Nymphadora Tonks," Harry said, trying to peer past the girl and seek an adult.

"I'm Nymphadora Tonks," said the girl.

"Excuse me?" Harry said. He was now bewildered.

"I am Nymphadora Tonks," She repeated louder, and Harry heard footsteps coming. "Who's there Nymph?" came a familiar female voice.

"I dunno," said the little girl.

Her mother came to the door and looked Harry up and down. "Can I help you, sir?" she asked. Harry noticed that she looked a lot younger than she had the last time that they had seen one another.

"Andromeda?" Harry asked, and he noticed that the woman's other hand was reaching inside her robes.

"Can I help you?" she asked again, this time a bit more forcefully.

"It's me, Harry," he said. "Harry Potter."

"No, sorry, don't know any Harry Potter's," she said, and tried to close the door. Harry put his hand up to hold it open and then apologized quickly

"Don't you remember?" he asked. "I was just here a few months ago with Hagrid. Death Eater's attacked my house and the Order was trying to get me away."

"You know about the Order?" she asked, still looking skeptical. "Then that means you know Dumbledore."

Harry gave her a puzzled look. "Dumbledore's dead," Harry said.

She looked at him, and quietly told Nymphadora to go upstairs to her room. "I don't know what you're playing at, but you'd best get away from here. Now."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, and his body shivered. "And why is it so cold? It's supposed to be May."

She looked at him even more quizzically. "May? Now, I know you're off your rocker. It's October, all month long," she said.

"What?" asked a shocked Harry. "Can you please tell me the date?"

"It's October 30, 1981," she said, slamming the door shut and Harry could hear her muttering spells behind the door.


	2. Chapter 2

Harry wandered aimlessly through the woods. He did not know how long he had been moving, nor where he was going. He just knew that he wanted to keep going.

His mind clicked back and forth between what he had heard and seen. He was told that he had somehow ended up in the year 1981. If this was true then…_no_, he thought. _This can't be_, he mused. He was trying to convince himself that what he heard was wrong. He thought back to Snape's and how he had fallen through the floor.

_But what is really the floor?_

He remembered that the potion was white, so white in fact that it looked like liquid light in the cauldron. He wished that he had Hermione, as she would have known what to make of it all. He had never heard of a potion that allowed people to travel in time.

_But then again, there are a lot of magical things you don't know about_.

He was debating within himself, trying to make sense of it all and only ending up with a headache. He wondered who he could go to for help. If he was indeed in 1981, then some of the usual suspects were not there. Ron and Hermione would only be infants now. So would he, for that matter.

_Wait._

Harry's mind was now racing. It now occurred to him that if he was really back in 1981and if the day was really what he had been told, then in just over 24 hours, he would earn his scar, his parents would be killed, and Voldemort would be forced from his body.

He began a debate within his mind. He was trying to decide if he should change history and save his parents. He knew that it would be a selfish thing to do, and for the most part, he was against it. But, something in the back of his mind told him that it was the right thing to do. He realized that if he chose this path, then there would be no room for error. Voldemort's powers would not break, and he would not have to resort to using one of his Horcruxes. The one good thing about him traveling from the future is that he knew what the Horcruxes were for the most part. He would also have the help of Dumbledore and the Order, back when they were at their full glory.

_Dumbledore._

Harry knew that whatever it was he needed to do, he would need help. If he was really in 1981, then he would need no more help that Albus Dumbledore. The hardest part would be convincing the man that he was really who he claimed he was.

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Apparating to Homemade village, Harry waited in the Shrieking Shack until he saw a lantern bobbing down from the castle. He had lucked out. Dumbledore was going down to the village for a drink. It was just before midnight and the man had come down alone.

Exiting the old building quickly, Harry went and stood in front of the Three Broomsticks. He stood right by the door and could hear the sounds of laughter coming from inside. Dumbledore reached the building and hesitated for a moment before going in. He peered at Harry curiously before attempting to walk in.

"Albus Dumbledore," said Harry, causing the man to stop in his tracks. Harry turned to him as Dumbledore made his way out of the pub.

"Yes," said Dumbledore. "How may I help you?"

Harry noticed that there was coldness in the man's voice and his hand was inside his robes, undoubtedly on his wand. Harry knew that he would only have a few words to convince Dumbledore of what he was saying, before the man attacked him. "I know this might sound strange," Harry began, "but I know you. I'm from the future." He thought about what he had just said, and about how he would react to hearing such news. He had hoped that by telling Dumbledore the truth he had not disrupted some cosmic law and that the universe wouldn't blow up.

"From the future?" inquired Dumbledore. He surveyed Harry. "You look to be too young to be drinking. Alas, what has become of our youth?"

"No," Harry pleaded, "please. You have to believe me. You were Headmaster at Hogwarts, when I was there."

"My dear boy," said Dumbledore, now sounding more impatient, "I am afraid that you are mistaken. I remember every student whom I have ever taught, and I can say that you are not one of them."

"Please, you have to believe me," Harry said, trying to will Dumbledore to believe me.

"I am afraid that I have other matters to attend to, now if you would," Dumbledore said, trying to brush past a frantic Harry.

"Wait!" he exclaimed. "I know about the prophecy," he said, and he made sure to lower his voice so that no one else would hear.

Harry was shocked by what happened next. He watched as Dumbledore made his way back out from the doorway of the pub. He removed his wand from inside his robes, moved very swiftly. Grabbing Harry by the collar of his robes, he practically threw Harry into the space between two of the buildings. He then pinned Harry up against the wall and pointed his wand at his face.

"How do you know about the Prophecy?" he asked. There was a cold fury in his eyes that was also etched in every wrinkle on the man's face.

Harry found himself to be quite scared of his mentor at this point. "I know about the prophecy, because it's about me," Harry said. Dumbledore did not let his grip up any. "My name is Harry Potter. I'm the son of Lily and James Potter, I can prove I'm from the future," he tried to reason.

Dumbledore let Harry go. He did not stop his wand from pointing at him. "Explain yourself."

Harry scrambled to his feet and gathered himself quickly. "I know the prophecy, word for word," Harry said. He repeated the words of the prophecy back to Dumbledore whose expression was unreadable. When Dumbledore did not speak for a minute, Harry continued. "The person who overheard the prophecy was Snape. If I wasn't at least a part of the secret, then how would I be able to say out loud that the Potters live in Godric's Hollow? You like the Muggle candy Lemon Drops. I-"

"Enough," said Dumbledore, holding up his free hand. "If you are," he began slowly, "who you claim to be, then you will submit to testing by Veritaserum?"

"Yes," Harry said quickly.

Within an hour, Harry and Dumbledore found themselves hulled up in Dumbledore's office. Harry noticed that Dumbledore had taken great care to make sure that no one, not even the ghosts had seen Harry. This gave him hope that Dumbledore was starting to believe him.

The effects of Veritaserum were very much like being put under the Imperius Curse, but with a few differences. The Imperius Curse gave you a feeling of euphoria that made you feel as though your mind was nothing more than a piece of clay, ready for the molding. Veritaserum, however, kept your mind sharp. You could think all you want about resisting its effects, but by the time the thought was done, you had already answered the question.

Harry was not surprised by any of the questions that Dumbledore

"Do you believe me?" Harry asked, feeling the effects of the potion wearing off.

Dumbledore looked thoughtful for a moment. "Yes," he replied. "Yes, I do. However, your traveling back here has raised a few concerns."

"Like what?" Harry asked, though he had a good idea that he knew what they were.

"Though you have arrived here by accident, you have nonetheless come from some 17 years in the future. This means that you have knowledge of events that have yet to happen. You know the fates of many people, am I correct?"

Harry paled. He did in fact know 'how the story ended' for several people. He knew for a fact that in 17 years time, Albus Dumbledore would not be alive to sit there in this office. "Yes," Harry said simply.

"Outside of those who must know," Dumbledore began, "you must be kept a secret. People would kill for the information that you possess."

"I agree," said Harry.

"Now, what exactly do you wish to accomplish?" Dumbledore asked.

Harry thought for a moment. "First and foremost, I'd like to find a way back to my own time," he said. "I also thought that I would like to…save someone."

"Ah," said Dumbledore in his ever knowing tone. He knew that this was coming. "And who is this someone you'd like to save?"

"Well…" Harry began nervously, "it isn't actually just one someone, its two people. My parents."

"Yes," said Dumbledore and his eyes went out of focus. "If we are given the chance to do things over, why not right past wrongs?"

Harry noticed that Dumbledore was staring off at some point beyond Harry's shoulder. Harry knew that Dumbledore was probably thinking of his family, whom Harry had heard a lot about since the old man's death. "Sir?" Harry interrupted, bringing the man back from his daze.

"Sorry, Harry," he apologized. "If you should ever live to be as old as I, try not to have so many regrets."

Harry did not know how to take this. He just stared back at Dumbledore.

"Have you thought this all the way through? Changing any one small event could change the future in a drastic way."

Harry wanted to laugh out loud. He knew that what he wanted to do would mean dire changes for his future. He went on to explain what would happen when Voldemort came to attack his family. He explained about how the Dark Lord had split his soul and became broken when he tried to kill Harry.

"So you're motives for doing this are purely personal?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes, and no," Harry said. "I know how it sounds, but I think that with me knowing what I do about Voldemort and how to defeat him, he can be stopped now. This way, I get my parents back, and the world loses Voldemort."

"Hmm," said Dumbledore out loud. "I understand completely what you are saying. Yet, I find fault in what you are saying. You wish to save your own parents and none others. You realize that by saving them, Voldemort will have seventeen more years to become stronger and destroy more lives. You also realize that though you have the method of his destruction, you have no means by which to do it. This is a selfish decision."

Harry had not expected this. He thought Dumbledore would be against it, but the man had come out so vehemently.

"And yet," Dumbledore began, bringing Harry from his thoughts, "it is a decision that I must admit, that if I had been given your circumstances, I would do the same. You will have the backing of the Order of The Phoenix."

"Thank you," said Harry, and he meant it from the bottom of his heart.

"There is one task that you must do," Dumbledore said, and Harry leaned forwards.

"You must be the one to tell your parents of Peter Pettigrew's betrayal. You and you alone have the task of telling them who you are."

Harry sat stunned. It had been hard enough for him to try and convince Dumbledore of who he was, but to try and tell his parents that he was their son from the future, would prove to be a near impossible task.

"I will have you set up for the night," Dumbledore began, holding up a hand to stop Harry from protesting, "at the Leaky Cauldron. You are not to leave. I will be in contact with you soon."


	3. Chapter 3

The Leaky Cauldron was empty at this time of night. Both the bar and many of the upstairs rooms were vacated. Harry had to remind himself that he was now in a time where Voldemort was at the height of his power and the world was living in fear. His heart pounded as he waited for Dumbledore. He knew that it would probably be a while before the elder man arrived but he was eager for what news he would bring.

He lay back on the bed, allowing his mind to wander. He wondered about the safety of Ron and Hermione who had both probably been stunned by Snape. He wouldn't allow himself to think that anything worse had happened.

He then thought about his parents, whom he would have to see sometime this afternoon. They would still be so young, and the worst part of it would be him trying to convince them that he was who he claimed to be.

He thought that he was only asleep for a minute or so when there came a knock at his room door. Grabbing his wand, Harry cautiously headed to the door.

"Who is it?" he asked.

"It is I," responded Dumbledore.

Opening the door quickly, Harry invited the man in. Dumbledore took a seat as Harry did the same.

"I have news for you," said Dumbledore, and Harry had been expecting it. He leaned in a little closer. "Using the information that you have given me, I was able to back track your steps. I was forced to wipe the memory of Andromeda Tonks. Keeping your presence here a secret is of the utmost importance."

"What about the Order?" asked Harry?

"I will take precautions to safeguard against them," Said Dumbledore simply. "However, there are much more important matters at hand. Your parent's safety is at the top of the list." Dumbledore paused for a moment as though he was deep in thought. "I believe," he began slowly, "that the safest thing would be for me to go and retrieve your parents myself. However, as you are the only other person besides themselves and Mr. Pettigrew who knows where they are hidden, I am leaving this up to you."

Harry nodded.

"I have something that must be done," said Dumbledore. "You will receive a sign from me stating that it is alright for you to go. The sign will come to your room, so please do try to stick around. Once you receive the sign, you can then apparate to wherever they are and then the rest is up to you."

Dumbledore stood quickly and headed to the door, opening it and standing in the doorway. "Harry, I do not believe that I must warn you that you keeping a low profile is very important."

"Of course," said Harry. He paused. "Sir, what do you have to do?"

"You will know when the time is right," he returned simply. "When you have retrieved your parents, have them apparate directly back into your room. Send me an owl once you are finished and we shall communicate from there."

Harry nodded as he watched Dumbledore make his way down the hall and vanish down the staircase.

The rest of the day was spent with Harry pacing around his room. He had ventured downstairs a few times, just to get a bite to eat. He didn't want too much though, as his stomach was doing back flips in anticipation of the task he had in front of him.

At around 3 in the afternoon, Harry received the sign he had been waiting for. A single phoenix feather had appeared in a flash of bright light. The feather no doubt belonged to Fawkes. Harry took a deep breath before disappearing with a swish of his cloak.

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Somewhere else, and at some other time, Severus Snape was pacing a dark room. Beads of sweat were forming against his jet black hair and he was feeling quite nervous. Against one of the walls in the room were two chairs, each one occupied by one of his former pupils. Both of their wands were sitting on his table and his own was gripped in his own hand.

Things had not gone how he wanted them to go. Once again, something that he was planning had been fouled up by Potter. He slammed himself down into a chair, deep in thought. _The fool went through my portal_, thought Severus. The potion he created had been an experimental one, and there was no guarantee that Potter had even survived the journey to the past. If Potter had indeed survived, he hoped that the ignorant youth would do nothing to cause any permanent damage.

"Where's Harry?" came the voice of the red haired prisoner. His question was met with silence. Ron felt groggy as he looked over at Snape. He stared at the man's cold eyes as he tried to struggle free from the chair.

"You'll only make them tighter Ronald," came the voice of Hermione as she too woke up. "There are enchanted ropes. They get tighter as you pull at them." She was sitting as still in her chair as one could possibly be.

"Where's Harry?" demanded Ron once more as he too stopped moving around.

"Silence," said Severus as he surveyed the two. "I'm trying to think." His voice sounded quite distracted, despite the fact that he was staring right at them.

"Hermione, what was that thing he fell through?" asked Ron, trying to turn his neck to see her. "It looked like a puddle of glowing milk."

"I don't know," said Hermione, sounding quite perplexed. "I've never seen anything like it before."

"Silence!" boomed Severus' voice. "If I have to remind you two that I want it quiet once more, then I will be forced to quiet you myself…permanently."

Severus stood and walked to the cauldron he had been muttering over when he was interrupted. There was barely any of the potion left. It would take him another full week to have the base for it done, and yet another week still for it to stew.

"Two weeks," he muttered to himself. He hoped that in the time it takes for him to make the potion that Potter didn't do anything stupid.

_Who are you kidding?_ He thought to himself.

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With a small crack, Harry appeared in a small alley between two houses. Making his way out onto the main street, he was glad that it was Halloween. Children were already out in costumes, making their rounds with bags of candy in hand. He didn't feel so out of place as he walked around in his cloak.

He walked around the small village, careful not to draw much attention to himself. He didn't know exactly which house was theirs, but after a while he was able to deduce that it was the one that was continuously passed over by the children and their parents.

His heart pounded in his chest as he approached the house. Fear filled him as he dreaded what he was about to do. He knew that to anyone behind him, he would be looking quite foolish. Plus there was every chance that his parents would kill him just for knowing where they were.

He was not quick to knock on the door. He first chose to look through the sitting room window. His heart dropped as he saw his mother, sitting in the chair, her face buried in a book. She did not notice him.

His attention then shifted to something else. His father was sitting on the couch, playing with a little baby boy. Harry felt a strange new feeling, and one that he could not identify as he watched his father play with his infant self.

He took yet another deep breath. He knocked on the door lightly, and could hear a flurry of movement inside. He heard James tell Lily to take Harry upstairs. From the other side of the door, he could hear James Potter approaching, and Harry had no doubt that his wand was draw.

"Wormtail, is that you?" said the man's deep voice as the door began to open slowly and cautiously.


	4. Chapter 4

**Authors Note**: Thanks for all the reviews.

Harry's heart pounded as the door seemed to take an eternity to open. When it finally did so, he was met with the face that he had never seen in person. A face that he was so often told that he mirrored so closely.

"Stupefy!" yelled James, his wand pointed at Harry.

Harry had expected this and quickly conjured a shield. The force of it knocked his father back into the house. Harry quickly ran forward and grabbed his wand from the floor as James stood and put up his hands as though to fight Harry. There was desperation in his eyes and Harry knew that he would do anything to protect his wife and son who were upstairs; the trouble was that he didn't know that he was trying to kill and protect his son at the same time.

"D…James," Harry stammered, his wand pointed at his father. "You have to listen to me."

"I knew Wormtail would betray us," yelled James, never taking his eyes off of Harry. "Lily always said she never felt safe when Peter was around, I should have listened."

"You're wrong, well not about everything," Harry tried to find the words. "I'm not here to hurt you."

"Of course not," James retorted, "the Killing Curse doesn't hurt."

"Bloody hell," Harry muttered. "If I wanted to kill you, you wouldn't be standing there right now. I'd have done it already, wouldn't I?"

Though James did not put his hands down, or even move for that fact, Harry noticed something in his eyes. He didn't know what it was, but he waited with baited breath for James to speak. When he did so, his tone had calmed down a little. "So are you here to take us to Voldemort so he can do it himself?"

"Look, if I wanted to do any of that, I would have made a move already," said Harry, trying to reason with his father. He wanted his parents to come with him because they wanted to, not because he stunned them and forced them to go.

"Tough words from a man holding my wand," said James.

"Fine," said Harry, tossing James' wand back to him. James caught it in midair and pointed it at Harry once more. "You have your wand back. If I wanted to cause you any harm, do you really think I would have given it back to you?"

"I guess not," said James, trying to make sense of the situation in spite of himself.

"If I wanted you dead, do you really think I would have knocked on the door?" Harry paused, trying to figure out what to say next. "Dumbledore…I'm here and Dumbledore knows it."

"You know Dumbledore?" James asked incredulously.

"Everyone knows Dumbledore," said Harry smartly.

"Humph," was all James could muster. He surveyed the youth in front of him, and for the first time, he truly looked at him. He registered the fact that it was almost like looking into a mirror. The two looked so very much alike that it was uncanny. They varied in one place though. "You're eyes," was all James.

Harry blinked several times. He noted that James seemed to finally calm down. "Yes?" He was trying to play coy, but he knew exactly where James was going with his statement.

"Nothing," he said, though he continued to stare at Harry strangely, never dropping his wand or taking his blue eyes from Harry's emerald ones. "You haven't given me any reason to trust you. What is it that you want from us?"

"I just need you, and you're wife and child to come with me to the Leaky Cauldron. Once there, we're going to meet up with Dumbledore and he will tell us what to do from there."

"You expect me to just blindly follow you? You could be leading us to our deaths for all I know."

Harry's patience was growing more and more thin. He sighed heavily. "James, if I wanted to kill you or do you any harm, I'd have done it already. Please, just do as I say and Dumbledore will take care of the rest."

"James…," came a new voice from the top of the stairs. Both heads turned, neither moving their wands, to look at who the voice had come from.

Lily Potter was standing at the top of the stairs, wand in one hand and baby Harry in the other hand. Her deep red hair seemed to have a shine about it. Harry thought that it was just the fact that he was seeing her properly for the first time, but she seemed to have some sort of glow about herself. Her eyes shone against the dark backdrop of the unlit hallway.

"James?" she asked, looking down the stairs. "Why does it look like there are two of you? Is that Sirius playing another joke?" she half smiled yet never dropped her wand.

"No, Lily," said James, walking up the stairs to his wife and child. "I don't know who he is. He claims that Dumbledore sent him to bring us to him."

The three began to walk down the stairs to Harry. He saw himself in his mother's arms, watching the whole thing. "If Dumbledore wanted to see us, why didn't he just come himself?" asked Lily.

"I can't tell you that right now," said Harry. "If Dumbledore says it's alright, you'll know the truth soon enough."

Lily walked right up to Harry, pointing her wand right at his chest in the process. "Why should we trust you?" she asked.

"Lily look," said James. "Look at Harry."

Baby Harry was smiling as he looked at his older self. He pushed himself away from his mother and tried to reach for Harry.

"He doesn't do that for just anyone," said James quietly. "He certainly didn't do it the first time he met Peter."

"Harry is a very good judge of character," said Lily, talking about her infant son.

Elder Harry felt his own face grow hot and knew that he was turning red. "Do you believe me now?"

Lily and James looked at one another. They didn't speak to one another; instead they looked into one another's eyes. They both nodded after about a minute or so.

"Since Harry here seems to like you," began James, "we'll trust you for the moment."

"We will go with you to the Leaky Cauldron on one condition," said Lily.

"What condition?" asked Harry.

"We'll hold onto your wand. If Dumbledore does indeed show up, then you'll get it back."

"Sounds reasonable enough," said Harry. He handed his wand over to James who took it and put it inside his robes. "Can we go now?"

"I see no reason why not," said Lily.

"Apparate to the upstairs hallway in the Leaky Cauldron," Harry explained. "I'll take you to my room."

They both nodded. Lily pulled Harry closer to her and vanished with a pop. James did the same a second later, closely followed by Harry.

The group reappeared in the hall out side Harry's room. After making sure that they were alright, he led them to his room. He opened the door and ushered them in quickly. Once he turned around, he was met with a surprise.

"Sir?" He asked, looking at the tall frame of Albus Dumbledore. "I thought I was supposed to owl you once I got them here."

"I know, but I thought it best to be here when you arrived. There is much to be done," he said.

"Albus, what's going on here?" James asked, handing Harry back his wand.

"For your own protection, I think it is best not to discuss it here," said Dumbledore. "If you would all be so kind as to touch this portkey, I will explain once we arrive at our destination."

The group grabbed onto the old boot Dumbledore was holding and each felt a familiar tug behind their navel. They landed in a dark room that looked quite old. It had the makings of a bedroom, but it just appeared to be quite dirty.

Harry recognized the place immediately. They were at Grimmuald Place. He could tell from the stench in the air. He had been here just a few weeks earlier with Ron and Hermione, but upon looking at himself in his mother's arms, his head began to ache upon realizing that _he_ had not been there yet

"Dumbledore," said the voice of James, now quite firm as he took a seat, prompting Lily to do the same, "I want answers."

"And indeed you do deserve them," said the Headmaster. "You have been kept in the dark about many things over the past few weeks. I thank you for having such trust in me. To follow me so blindly shows that you truly believe in what must be done. In a few minutes, someone will be joining us to fill you in on something. As to what has happened to you in the last hour or so, I believe that he may be able to fill you in," said Dumbledore, nodding at Harry.

Harry choked on his own saliva. He didn't know that Dumbledore was going to put him on the spot the way he did.

"Sir?" Harry stammered.

"I understand that you may be a little…put off, but I cannot tell this tale. There are some parts that you and you alone know," said Dumbledore. "Remember though; though some of us cannot see the forest because of the trees, sometimes the forest is all that needs to be seen and not the trees themselves."

Harry looked perplexed at the Headmaster's words. He knew that it was a warning of some sort. _Details_, he thought. Dumbledore didn't want him to go into too much detail about anything.

"Well, out with it," said James.

"My name," began Harry in a very serious tone, "is Harry James Potter. I'm seventeen years old, and I am your son."

There was silence in the room as though the strongest silence charm had been cast. The silence seemed to go on forever, and Harry wished that someone would talk. He looked to Dumbledore, who only nodded his approval and then back at his parents. Harry gave a little start as a sound broke the silence.

James began laughing like a mad man. He was slapping his knee and tears were forming in his eyes.

Lily silenced him with a very vicious look. James stopped, mid laugh and looked at Harry. "How do you expect us to believe that you are who you say you are?" she asked.

"I know that it will be a very hard pill to swallow, and I know you have no reason to believe me, but just look at me, and you'll know I'm telling the truth," said Harry. "James, you noticed it."

"Yes," said James slowly. "You look just like I did when I was 17. You have Lily's eyes though."

"But…how?" asked Lily.

Harry went on to explain that he and his two friends had been on the trail of a Death Eater. He explained that Voldemort was powerful in his time and that they went after the Death Eater for information. He then told them how he slipped in a puddle and found himself thrown back in time. He made sure to leave out as much as possible, but left in enough for them to know that he was telling the truth.

"Dumbledore, what did he slip through?" asked Lily. "I've never heard of such a Potion and I was top of our class for N.E.W.T's."

"I am afraid that I too am in the dark as to what potion was used. We will have to find out in order to send Harry back to his time."

James opened his mouth to ask a question. He was silenced by the sound of a knock at the door. The door knob turned slowly and in walked a face familiar to all inside.

"Snape," spat Harry, drawing his wand.

"Snivellus," muttered James, drawing his wand as well.

"Sev?" said Lily, now staring curiously at the man framed in the doorway.


	5. Chapter 5

"It would seem that no introductions are needed," commented Dumbledore, trying to ease some of the tension. He stepped in front of Snape, who had drawn his own wand upon seeing James. "Wands away please," he said. It didn't really sound like a command, but it sounded like one. Harry, James and Snape put away their wands. Dumbledore directed Snape to a chair on the far side of the room, as James and Lily both resumed sitting.

"What's he doing here?" demanded James, staring at Snape with the utmost discontent. The look was shared from Snape as well.

Harry looked at the man and noted that this Snape was not the one that he had attacked just a day before and so many years in the future. This Snape was much younger, and by Harry's calculations, he was 21 years old, just like his parents. This Severus looked so much younger. But there was something else. His face and eyes appeared not to have taken on as much grief as his elder self. There was still something warm in this Snape's eyes. It was a look that Harry could not identify, but he was sure that it was not always there.

"Headmaster, I too am wondering why you wanted my presence here, considering the company," he said, nodding at James.

"Enough," said Dumbledore, holding up a hand to silence the pair. "Severus, I have asked you to come here so that you might inform Lily and James of certain things."

"I told you I would not," said Severus, never taking his eyes off of James.

"Severus," began Dumbledore, trying to reason with the man, "You need not tell of your motives. Just inform them of what you have learned. They have a right to know."

Snape looked as though he would not open his mouth for a day or two. He appeared to be very uncomfortable with whatever it is he had to say.

"Sev?" Lily prodded.

"The reason," he began slowly, and after hearing Lily speak, "that you have been forced to go into hiding is because of a prophecy."

"We know that much," said James loudly.

"I could fit what you know on the inside of my boot, Potter," said Snape. "What you don't know is the reason why The Dark Lord knows about this. You see, I am the one who overheard the prophecy when it was being told to Headmaster Dumbledore. I did not hear the entire thing. I did hear enough to make the Dark Lord come after you."

"You son of a " James yelled, and the rest of his sentence was lost to the wind as he lunged himself across the room.

"Impedimenta," cried Lily, stopping James midair. He floated there briefly before she ended the spell and he dropped with a loud thud to the floor. "James!" she yelled at him. "Sit down and listen! If he was a danger to us, he would not have been brought here."

"Ha," smirked Snape, looking down at James as he got off the floor.

"And you," she rounded on Snape, putting down Harry and stretching her finger out for good measure, "If you keep making snide comments, I'll be forced to hex you too." She sighed and threw her hands up in the air. "I swear, if I didn't know any better, I'd think this was the first day of school on the Hogwarts express." With that, she grabbed up baby Harry and slammed herself back down into the chair.

Harry smirked but tried to cover it. He swore he heard Professor Dumbledore laugh and try to cover it with a cough. However when he looked at the man, there was no trace of a smile on his face.

"Lily is right in her assumption," said Dumbledore. "Severus has been working very closely with me over the past few months. Despite old vendettas, we are all working towards the same thing, and that is to bring down Voldemort."

Harry registered the shake that went through Snape when Dumbledore said the name.

"Harry, I need to speak to you outside, if you'd please," said Dumbledore. Harry nodded and the two left the room and walked a little down the hall.

"Do you think it's safe to leave them in there alone?" asked Harry once they were down the hall way.

"Safe for whom?" Dumbledore asked.

"My dad…well James and Snape. They're going to go at it again."

"I believe that they are safe from one another. Whether or not they are safe from Lily is another matter entirely," said Dumbledore. Harry smiled, and enjoyed being reunited with the Headmaster. "Harry, I do not know whether or not this point has crossed your mind yet, but it is one of the most crucial points of you coming back."

"Based upon what you have told me, and upon what I already know, I have deduced that unless you can be stopped from ever traveling back here, you have utterly changed the future. You see, the scar on your forehead was given to you as a result of Voldemort's curse backfiring. Now that events have been set in motion, you will not get that scar. Effectively, you will not be "marked as his equal", and the means to his downfall will not be created."

Harry's heart dropped in his chest. He had not counted on any of this. He knew that saving his parents was selfish, but he had not considered what it would do in the long run. "How can I fix this?"

"I am afraid that I do not see anyway that this can be remedied," said Dumbledore. "Fate has dealt us a cruel hand, and one that we will be forced to play."

"Will my scar disappear?" Harry asked.

"To this, I am not sure," said Dumbledore. "Whether or not it vanishes is immaterial, as I believe that its magical properties will not have carried back to this time."

"What can we do?" asked Harry, trying to make sense of what he was hearing.

"You come from a time where Voldemort lost all his power and then rose once more. Now that you have changed time, you must realize that our Voldemort will never lose his power. He will continue to grow strong, and then the methods that should lead to his destruction will most likely never be created."

Harry stood there in shock. A cold shudder went through him as he took in what he was hearing. "So sir," he began slowly, "what you're trying to tell me is that by coming back here to stop Voldemort, I may have just stopped us from ever being able to do so?"

"Yes," said Dumbledore gravely.

Harry thought for a moment. There was something he was missing, and he was so upset at himself for not remembering it earlier. There was one crucial piece of the puzzle that he had not informed Dumbledore of. "He's not whole," he blurted out abruptly.

"Excuse me?" said Dumbledore, his tone very confused now.

"His soul," began Harry quickly, "it's not whole anymore. He created Horcruxes."

"Are you sure Harry?" asked Dumbledore, and the fire in his eyes returned. "How do you know this?"

"You told me sir," said Harry slowly.

Dumbledore pursed his lips together for a moment. His brow furrowed. "Do you know what the Horcrux is?"

"Sir," began Harry, "that's the problem. He created more than one. He believes that seven is the most powerful magical number."

"So he created seven?" asked Dumbledore, now hanging on to Harry's every word.

"No," Harry said. "As far as I know, at this point in time, he should only have the diary, the locket, and the cup, and the ring."

"You must tell me the full story," began Dumbledore, "but not now. There is too much going on right now. Let us return to the bedroom." Dumbledore paused, and Harry could tell that his mind was racing. "Harry, you will be staying here tonight. As will your parents. Young Mr. Black will be returning home later and I believe that he will be quite happy to have some company."

Harry's heart jumped at the prospect of seeing Sirius again. He knew that this younger version would not know who he was, but Harry had always wanted to see Sirius in his prime, before Azkaban had a chance to ravish him.

"Where are you going to go?" Harry asked.

"First I must return to the school, and take Severus back with me," said Dumbledore. "Then there are certain people who must be alerted. You will be safe here Harry, as will your parents. I know that this goes without saying, but please be careful. Your parents will have many questions about the future, and you must not tell them. Changing the timeline anymore then you have already done could have dire consequences."

Harry pushed the door open to the bedroom and was met with a sight that was forever imprinted in his mind. Baby Harry was sitting on a chair, laughing while James was nursing what appeared to be a broken nose. Snape was caught in a full body bind and was now suspended to the ceiling, while Lily had her wand pointing at him.

"I told you no more snide remarks," she said, talking to Snape. She then rounded on James. "And _you_, James Potter, if you _ever_ get the nerve to tell me to shut up my damned anything again, my fist will find more than just your nose."

"I thought they'd be safe," muttered Dumbledore out the corner of his mouth.


	6. Chapter 6

A full silence had come over the bedroom. Baby Harry was sleeping quietly in a conjured crib. Lily and James Potter sat on one side of the room on a squashy love chair. Lily's head was resting against her husband's shoulder and their hands were entwined. Across from them sat another Potter, their son Harry. He stared at them and they stared back. Neither wanted to break the silence because doing so would open a flood gate from which there could be no closure.

James stifled a yawn. "So?" he said, nodding his head a little. "How about those Tornadoes?"

Harry smiled in spite of himself. He was still adjusting to what he was seeing and was still being swept up in the magic of it all. For seventeen years, he had wanted to speak to his parents. And now, here he was, sitting in the same room as them not saying a word. "I know you have questions," Harry said.

Both Lily and James sat bolt upright. "What's it like?" Asked Lily.

"What's what like?" asked Harry.

"The future," she said with baited breath.

Harry placed a hand on his head. His mother couldn't have asked a more general question. "I don't…really know how to describe it," he said slowly. "I mean…it's a lot really."

"Well start at the beginning," said Lily.

Harry looked up at her. "I can't really tell you everything," Harry warned. "It'd be best if you just asked more specific questions." Harry thought that Hermione would be proud of him for exercising some restraint in this situation.

"Ah, of course," Piped up James, "Lily he has to be careful. He could destroy the entire time line if he tells us something." He grinned and laughed loudly, though he was the only one doing so.

"Anyway," Lily continued on as if James had not spoken a word, "I'm guessing that me and James didn't make it past tonight." With her carefree tone, she could have been talking about the weather. "I knew there was something very off about Wormtail. Even when we were off at school, but I didn't think that he would do this."

James' eyes seemed to take on a new darkness. "I called him my friend," he muttered. "We took him in and made him our friend at school. When no one else would take him in, we did." Lily gave his hand a squeeze and he seemed to calm down a bit. "He'll have his day," James muttered.

Harry didn't know what to say. "You're right. You two didn't survive past tonight, but that's all been changed now."

"That's something to celebrate," James said. He smiled, and Harry was happy to see him do so. "So what happened that night? You said Voldemort vanished, but that's quite a feat to do. I bet I'm the one who took him down. I always knew I had it in me."

"Sorry, but no," Harry laughed. "Voldemort killed you both, and then tried to do the same to me. He couldn't do it though, and he…broke himself."

"Do you know how that happened?" Lily asked. She was always eager to learn some new bit of information.

"Yeah," Harry nodded.

"And that's one of those things you can't tell us," she said as a statement and not a question. Harry nodded, and she followed suit, hoping for him to continue.

"Hagrid took me away from the wreckage," Harry continued. "Sirius wanted to do it, but Hagrid was there on Dumbledore's orders. He took me to Privet Drive and…"

"No!" Lily yelled, and nearly jumped out of her seat. She woke the younger Harry who instead of crying, sat up in the crib and looked around. "He didn't take you to Petunia did he?"

Harry nodded.

"Oh Harry," she sighed. "I'm so sorry. I never wanted you to end up there. She's always been jealous of me. She went off and married that awful man and turned him against James and me." She looked quite peeved. "How did they treat you?"

Harry was happy that she had avoided asking about why he had been sent there instead of with his Godfather. "They let me live there," was all he could muster to say. "I don't really recall any fond memories from there. The best day of my life was the day Hagrid came to tell me that I was a wizard and I was going to Hogwarts."

"What?" James yelled incredulously. "They didn't even tell you that you were a wizard? What about us? Surely you had to have been told how he died."

"Actually no," Harry said. "They got angry whenever I would do something that they called "funny". They told me that you two had died in a car crash."

"A car crash kill Lily and James Potter?" James looked livid. "If I ever get my hands on that sister of yours, I'll have little something for her."

"I'm sorry," Lily said once more.

"It's alright," he said, "there was nothing you could have done about it, considering the fact that you were…you know…dead."

"Harry," Lily began, "I really want to thank you for all that you've done for us. If it wasn't for you being here right now, we'd be gone, and you'd be left to carry this burden all alone. I know we've got a rough bit ahead of us, but I'm glad that we'll have you hear with us."

Harry didn't know what to say. He felt some lump form in his chest and when he tried to speak, nothing would come out.

"Where were Sirius and Remus?" asked James. "Surely they visited you all the time."

Harry looked apprehensive about answering. "No, not really. I didn't meet Remus until my third year. He was our DADA Professor, and I didn't even know that he knew you all at first."

"Hmm," was all James could manage. "What about Sirius?"

"Sirius was in Azkaban," Harry said.

Lily and James looked at one another in horror. Their eyes widened. "How?" they both asked at the same time.

"He went because everyone thought he murdered Wormtail," Harry explained.

The door burst open. In walked a face that Harry hadn't seen for two years. His features had not been dulled and diminished by the many years in Azkaban. His eyes were vibrant and full of life. "Lily? James?" He asked. "Dumbledore told me that I'd be having guests, but I didn't expect you two." He then turned and looked at the elder Harry. "Who the bloody hell are you?"

000000000000000

"Professor," called Hermione from her seat. "Professor Snape."

"Yes Ms. Granger?" he responded rudely, setting down his cauldron.

"Professor, I know that you're making some sort of potion," she said.

"Whatever would give you that impression? Was it the cauldron? Or maybe the many ingredients spread out on the table?" It was clear his patience was running thin.

"I'd like to help," she said.

"Do I look like a fool to you, Ms. Granger?" he asked, his cold eyes focused on her. "The minute I let you up from that chair you'll try to escape. I do not have the time to recapture you."

"No," she said. "I promise not to," her voice sounded desperate. "We just want Harry back. I know that whatever you're brewing is going to help bring him back to us."

"Hermione, what the bloody hell are you doing?" asked Ron

"I'm trying to get Harry back," she said. "Professor, the ingredients that you have on the table…"

"What about them?" asked Severus?

"You've got thestral blood," she said. "I know for a fact that when mixing any potion with thestral blood, you have to continuously stir for two hours straight. While stirring, you have to add a few of the ingredients."

"Thank you for trying to enlighten me, Ms Granger, but I am afraid that I already know what you have told me."

"What if you get called away though?" she asked. "It'll be ruined, and I doubt that you'll be able to get more thestral blood. It's too rare."

Snape's eyes did not betray him. They remained as cold as ever but he was thinking about what she was saying. The Dark Lord was becoming more erratic with the meetings. There was every possibility that he would be called away for something. "I will let you out your seat on one condition," he said evenly.

"What?" she asked.

"I keep your wand," he said. His tone let her know that he wasn't asking for her approval. He had already hidden both of their wands.

"Fine," Hermione said, and Ron looked at her as though he didn't recognize her. Once free of her ropes, she looked at him. "We need to get Harry back, no matter what," Hermione said. Her quick mind was already moving, formulating a plan.

0000000000000

Albus Dumbledore sat in his office. He leaned back in his chair, fingers pursed together. He was trying to make sense of all that he had been through over the course of the past two days. He was trying to make pieces of a puzzle fit. It must have been some kind of fate that led Harry back to this day and this time. He had already deduced why the elder Severus Snape had created the portal. "What we do for love," he said quietly. There was a knock at his door. "Come in," he said. Minerva McGonagall walked in and took the seat directly opposite her old friend and mentor.

"Albus, what is so urgent?" she asked. "The students are all in bed now, but look at the hour."

"Minerva," he began, "something has happened. I believe that we may have just been handed the means by which we will end this war."

"What has happened Albus?" she asked.

"I cannot say fully," he said. "However, when the Order meets, there will be much to talk about." He sat up a little bit. "Has Severus left already?"

"Yes," she said. "He left an hour ago."

"Good, good," muttered Dumbledore. "Minerva, if you would be so kind, could you send an owl to Remus Lupin? Please tell him to contact me. After that, could you please contact the Order and let them know that the meeting has been moved up to tomorrow afternoon?"

"Yes, Albus," she said simply.

"Thank you," Dumbledore said quietly. Minerva left the room.

Dumbledore rose from his seat and headed over to a cabinet against the wall. He opened it and pulled out his wand. "I must remember this," he said as he began to empty memories into the pensieve.


	7. Chapter 7

Harry sat in a small room, off to the side of the hall in Number 12 Grimmuald Place. He and Dumbledore had been having a conversation. A meeting of the Order of The Phoenix was about to commence and Harry had to be briefed on what was going to happen.

"So who's going to be there?" asked Harry.

"The full Order will be assembled," Dumbledore said.

"So what's going to happen when we go in there?" Harry questioned.

"I will call them to order. I will then introduce you. There will be a time for questions at the end of the meeting."

"Are you going to tell them my real name?" asked Harry.

Dumbledore looked thoughtful for a moment. "I think not. As of right now, only I, along with your family and Sirius know who you truly are."

"What about Snape?" Harry asked.

"_Professor_ _Snape_," Harry, Dumbledore corrected. "Severus has no idea of who you really are. I told him that you were a new Order. He commented on how young you were."

"I bet," Harry said. He knew that Snape had no doubt said a whole not more than that. "So what's the meeting about?"

"Well, besides introducing you to them, I'm going to inform everyone that you have information that could lead to the fall of Voldemort. No doubt everyone will want to know what it is, however, no one will know until the time is right," explained Dumbledore.

Harry suddenly remembered something. He thought back to when he was with Ron and Hermione. He knew that Dumbledore kept secrets, even from those who were closest to him. The Headmaster kept Harry in the dark for so many years, and even now, there are things about him that Harry did not know. "Oh," Harry finally managed to say.

"I believe that everyone has arrived now, Harry," Dumbledore said after a momentary silence. How he arrived at this conclusion, Harry did not know.

The two left the room and headed through the kitchen into another. They entered the sitting room to find that all the dust covered chairs had been removed and had been replaced with a large rectangular table with more than a dozen chairs pulled up to it. Each of the chairs was occupied. Harry recognized most of the people in the room. He knew that they wouldn't remember him, because they hadn't met him yet.

He went through their names and faces in his head. Looking around the table, he saw Mad-Eye Moody, his nose still in tact. The Weasley's were there as well. Hagrid, Professor McGonagall, Remus Lupin, Sirius, Andromeda Tonks, a very young Kingsley Shacklebolt, Snape, his own parents as well as a few people Harry only recognized because Mad Eye had once shown him a photo of the original Order. He noted that the Longbottoms were seated towards the end of the table and felt his heart go out for Neville. If everything went according to plan, the child would never lose his parents to insanity.

Harry took a seat to the right of Dumbledore, who sat at the head of the table. He looked around, smiling for a moment before speaking. "Good evening everyone," Dumbledore began. "I know that we were not due for a meeting for a few more days, but given certain circumstances, a meeting was not only important but necessary."

"I know that you have all noticed that there is a new member joining our ranks. His name is Jonathan. He has information that I believe could lead us to the downfall of Voldemort."

Harry saw several people flinch at the name, but more than that, a muttering had broke out among the people seated.

"Albus," came the voice of Professor McGonagall, "what information is this? I thought that we hadn't learned anything new."

"The situation has changed," Dumbledore said simply. "I still have not yet had the chance to get all of the information, but what he had provided thus far has helped to save the lives of three of our members." He nodded down to Lily and James. They smiled weakly.

"His information has also led us to a traitor who was formerly among our ranks," Dumbledore went on, and his voice took on a new tone. "Peter Pettigrew, formerly the Secret Keeper for the Potters, passed information about their whereabouts to Lord Voldemort. If not for the intervention of our young Jonathan here, they would have been killed."

More muttering broke out. "Albus," McGonagall spoke up again, "surely this information can't be right. Peter Pettigrew…he was a friend to them." She turned to Lily and James. "Is it true?"

Both Lily and James nodded. Their faces conveyed none of their real emotions though.

Dumbledore cleared his throat and the room became quiet again. "At this point in time, I am not sure if Peter knows that he has been exposed. He may just be under the impression that James and Lily moved themselves to somewhere else."

"We should try and find him then," Sirius spoke up. His voice was full of rage. It was a wonder to Harry that he was still managing to keep his rage under control. "If he still thinks he's on our side, then we can bring him in for a little _interrogation_."

"I believe you are correct," said Dumbledore. "Sirius, I'm leaving that task up to you. Go to his home, and pretend as if nothing is wrong. If you are able to bring him in, then do so quickly and quietly. It would be best if no one is alerted to him leaving."

Sirius nodded.

"Remus, Severus, you know you're tasks already," Dumbledore said, turning to the man.

They both nodded as well.

It looked as though Dumbledore was bringing the meeting to a close. "I must ask you all not to bother our new member with questions. I was going to allow some time in the meeting for that, but until I have gone over what he knows, it would be best if the information is kept under wraps."

The meeting soon let out. Several of the members left quickly, disappearing with loud _pops _and _cracks_. Harry noticed that Mrs. Weasley waddled into the other room, mumbling something about needing to check on Ronald. She was no doubt pregnant with Ginny. It amazed Harry how much history he was seeing. Several members of the Order came up to him to introduce themselves to him.

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The meeting had just let out. Lily had gone upstairs to the room she was staying in with James. She wanted to get her camera and take another picture of the Order, or at least those who stayed behind. She wanted to have a lot of pictures for Harry to have when he grew up. She always thought it would be important for a child to know from what they had come.

She got the camera and turned to head back out into the hall, but was met with a familiar face.

"Sev? Did you want something?" She tried to smile.

"I wanted to see how you were doing," He said. He could have cursed himself. His voice always had a harsh tone to it, even when he was trying to be nice. "You ran out the room after the meeting. I wanted to make sure everything was alright."

"Oh," she said. "I just wanted to get a camera," she held it up. "I wanted to take pictures of everyone so that when Harry grows up, he'll be able to know us all."

"Ah," Severus said his voice barely above a whisper. He turned to head back down the stairs but was stopped when she put her hand on his shoulder.

"I just wanted to say thank you," Lily said. Her voice sounded sincere. She was not looking in his eyes though, and Severus wished she would.

"It was nothing," Severus said, trying to sound modest. "You'd have done it for me." She looked up at him and something in her eyes let him know that she was not so sure she would have.

"Why did you do it?" She asked. Her green eyes took on a new spark, one that he had only seen when she was in class. Her thirst for knowledge would never end.

"You are…were…my friend," he said, and this time he averted his gaze. "I knew that I was duty bound to help you in any way that I could."

"You're a Death Eater," she said. There was nothing accusatory about her tone; she was just stating a fact.

"Yes," he said bitterly. "Labels mean nothing though."

"Like mudblod," she said coldly. She hadn't meant to say it, but it slipped out too quickly. "Sorry."

"No, don't apologize," he said. "It is I who should be doing so."

She was eager to change the subject. "So really, why did you do it?"

"Lily," he looked up at her, "there is something I want to tell you. It is something I have wanted to tell you for a while." He paused.

"James?" Lily looked past Severus. Her husband was walking over to her. He stepped to her side and surveyed Severus.

"Sorry Sev," Lily apologized. "Keep going."

He had become both flustered and angered by the reappearance of James. "I've become Potions Master at the school," He said. His tone had become business like once more.

"Really?" she looked genuinely happy for him. "I guess all my tutoring paid off."

"It would seem so," Severus said. He turned to leave, but was once again stopped, this time by James.

He turned and looked at the man. James' face was quite red as though someone was choking him. "Thank you," he finally blurted. He took several deep breaths as though the words had been lodged in his throat

"You're welcome," Severus said curtly. He was going to turn and leave, but couldn't resist the urge to add more. "Though, if you were able to protect your wife and child better, I wouldn't have to do the job."

James drew his wand quickly. Severus followed suit. "You dare mention my wife and child, you bloody Death Eater!" James roared. Red sparks flew from the tip of his wand.

"If you were any kind of a real man, you would have seen Pettigrew for what he was," Severus retorted.

"I saw you for what you were, _Snivellus_," James shot back.

"NEVER," Roared Snape, causing Lily to jump, "call me that name again."

"Put your wands away, the both of you!" Lily shrieked. She watched silver sparks shoot from Severus' wand. Both men looked ready to kill. They opened their mouths to speak but were cut off by the sounds of someone running towards them. Harry rushed to the center of them, breathless. He was bent over, clearly winded.

"Sorry," he panted, holding his chest, "I thought I heard yelling." He took several deep breaths. Severus gave James one last dirty look and put his wand away. Without another word, he stormed away, his black cloak billowing.

"James, what in the bloody hell is wrong with you?" Lily yelled, hitting her husband. "All you had to do was apologize."

"He couldn't just accept it though," said James, putting his own wand away. "He started it."

"You sound like a child," Lily said. "What kind of role model are you supposed to be for your son?" she asked. She looked at the elder Harry, who was smirking.

"Potters," she muttered before heading into the bedroom and slamming the door.!


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Note: Sorry this chapter took so long for me to write. I apologize. I would also like to thank those of you who keep reading it. The response to the story has been overwhelming.

An overweight man sat alone in his sitting room. The room was lit with only a single candle. It flickered, illuminating his nervous dull eyes. He leaned back in his chair, his large stomach heaving up and down as he took deep breaths. He was drifting off to sleep when a knock came to his front door.

"Go away," he mumbled, trying his hardest to pretend he wasn't home so that whoever was on the other side of the door would go away. Whoever was coming to call on this late Friday night was persistent however. Their knocks continued. Peter had no choice but to get up and make his way to the front door.

"Who is it?" he asked, opening the door and grabbing his wand from inside his robe. He pulled the door open and was unnerved by the guest on the other side. Not waiting for a welcome, Sirius pushed himself passed Peter and entered the apartment.

"S-Sirius?" Peter asked nervously, closing the door. "What are you doing here this time of night?"

"Peter, something happened a few days ago," said Sirius, trying his best to sound urgent. "I stopped hearing from Lily and James and when I went to their place, it was abandoned. The front door was unlocked and no one was home."

"H-how did that happen?" asked Peter. His hand was inside his robes, but clutching his wand tightly.

"I was hoping you could tell me," said Sirius, turning to face Peter. Sirius' gray eyes stared into the cold and empty ones of Peter. "I haven't spoken to Remus, but I know you're the secret keeper. Did they tell you anything?"

"N-no, they didn't," said Peter. "When I spoke to James last, everything was f-fine," he stammered.

"Have you told anyone about them, Peter?" asked Sirius in a dangerous tone.

"No," said Peter, his eyes darting around nervously. He watched Sirius' hand slowly enter his own robes. "Why would I do that?"

"Yes Peter," said Sirius, "why would you do that?"

"_Crucio_!" cried Peter. The jet of light barely missed Sirius, who darted behind an armchair.

"Sorry Peter," he yelled, trying to hear the man's movements. "I placed Anti-Apparation, and Anti- Transfiguration charms on the place before I came in. The only way you're getting out of here is if I drag you!"

Sirius stood and looked around, not seeing Peter anywhere. He checked to make sure the front was secure before turning and heading to the bedroom. He pushed the door open cautiously, not seeing anything in the darkness. He turned to leave when the closet door burst open.

"Stupefy!" cried Peter.

"Protego," Sirius countered. An invisible wall erupted in front of him. Peter's spell rebounded back at him, narrowly missing him. Sirius took his chance and ran up to the man, punching him hard in the jaw and knocking him unconscious. Sirius looked down at the man, his former friend and kicked him onto his back. He levitated him outside and with a small pop and swish of a cloak; the pair vanished into the night.

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Harry had settled into a normal routine at Number Twelve Grimmuald Place. He, along with his parents and Sirius would try to stay out of each others hair. With the five of them living in such close quarters, they thought it best that they each have their own space. Harry had taken advantage of the time by learning many new spells. He thought Hermione would be proud of him. Professor Dumbledore had given Harry many new spells books and whenever he was bored, he would study. This was becoming increasingly hard to do, as several times a day; one of the other three adults in the house would come into his room to ask him a question about the future. He did his best to answer them, but when Sirius began asking about World Cup results, he had to draw a line.

Harry was lying in his bed, still fully dressed. A breeze was blowing, though from where, he did not know. His wand was on the nightstand. He rolled over, his thoughts drifting to his friends. He hoped that they were alright and desperately wanted to know what they were doing. He hoped that Snape had shown them some leniency, but he remembered how cold the former Professor had been to Professor Dumbledore when he had murdered him atop the highest tower.

His thoughts were interrupted with a loud bang on his door. He grabbed his wand and saw the door push open, his mother standing on the other side.

"What happened?" he asked urgently.

"It's Sirius," she said breathlessly, "He's captured Peter and has him downstairs." She ran and Harry heard her footsteps heading downstairs. He followed after her. They made their way into the kitchen where James was already waiting. Harry saw Peter tied to a chair. Several bruises were swelling on his face.

"What happened to him?" asked Lily.

"It's no less than he deserves," said Sirius coldly.

"Where's Dumbledore?" asked Harry.

"He's on his way," said James. "He should be here in a few minutes."

"Have you cast the proper spells?" Lily asked, taking out her own wand and muttering as she made her way around the room.

"Did he put up a fight?" asked Harry. He looked at the man's swelling face and strangely felt a twinge of pity. It vanished quickly however.

"He tried to hex me a few times," said Sirius, "but my fist managed to persuade him into coming."

"How many times did you hit him?" asked Lily.

"Once in the beginning, but then I was feeling a bit giddy on the trip over here and couldn't resist," he smiled darkly, rubbing his knuckles.

"It's no less than he deserves," spat James vehemently.

Professor Dumbledore came into the room swiftly, startling all those already inside. Though it was close to midnight, he appeared to be still very much awake. He greeted all those present and surveyed the swelling face of Pettigrew for a moment.

"I suppose he fell," Dumbledore smiled kindly at Sirius.

"A lot," Sirius returned.

"Rennervate," muttered Dumbledore, pointing his wand at Peter. Peter stirred in his chair, coughing as he regained consciousness. He looked around wildly, his dark eyes darting from face to face as he struggled to get himself free from the ropes constricting himself to the chair.

"There is no reason for you to struggle, as escape is futile," said Dumbledore, and Harry noted the new harshness in his voice.

"P-Professor D-Dumbledore…what's g-going on h-here?" asked Peter, doing a very unconvincing impression of a man who didn't know what was going on.

"I believe you know very well what has happened, Peter," said Dumbledore. "Please, do not try to play on our intelligence. You are a Death Eater. You betrayed your friends to Lord Voldemort."

"I w-would never betray them," said Peter. "My allegiance lies with the Order."

"Scum!" hissed James, pulling up Pettigrew's sleeve to reveal the Dark Mark. "How dare you lie to us?"

"Calm down James," Lily whispered, pulling her husband back to her and grabbing his hand.

"Peter, you will be turned over to the Ministry of Magic," said Dumbledore. "Sadly however, we must do our own interrogation first, as we are not sure who can be trusted in the Ministry."

"I have done nothing wrong!" yelled Peter. "W-what is there to be g-gained from denying him? H-he is taking over everywhere."

"Innocent lives, Peter," said Lily.

"You don't understand," whined Peter, "he would have killed me!"

"THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED," Roared Sirius. "Rather than betray your friends, as we would have done for you!"

"Sirius, enough," said Dumbledore quietly. Sirius looked to Pettigrew as though he had never seen him before. He mumbled something under his breath before leaving the room and heading down a hall.

Dumbledore reached into his robes and pulled out a small vial. Harry remembered the little potion from his fourth year. It was Veritaserum, a very powerful truth potion. He watched as Dumbledore tipped the portion into Pettigrew's mouth. The man gagged a few times but with a hand clasped over his mouth, they watched as he swallowed the potion. His eyes became glazed over.

"What is your name?" asked Dumbledore.

"Peter Pettigrew," said the balding man in the chair.

"When did Lord Voldemort come to you for information concerning Lily and James?"

"He approached me shortly after graduation from Hogwarts. He heard the prophecy and wanted information about them."

"Did you resist him?" Lily interjected. She couldn't help but know.

"I tried," said Pettigrew. "But he promised to protect me."

Lily muttered something.

"Where does Lord Voldemort take up residence?"

"I do not know," said Peter. "He calls us to different places whenever he needs us.

"Does Lord Voldemort know the full contents of the prophecy?" asked Dumbledore.

"No," said Peter. "He seeks to soon venture into the Hall of Prophecy to learn its full premise."

"The Hall of Prophecy?" Lily looked perplexed.

Dumbledore motioned for the other three to follow him into the hall. Once safely out of ear shot of Peter, he began to fill them in.

"The Hall of Prophecy is a room inside the Department of Mysteries," explained Dumbledore. "Inside, there is a record of every prophecy ever given."

"We have to get to it," said James urgently.

"It is not that simple for either of us," said Dumbledore. "No one is supposed to know about the Hall of Prophecy. Even if we were able to reach it, the only person who can retrieve a prophecy from there is the persons about whom the prophecy was made."

Harry nodded, remembering that room all too well from his experience there in his fifth year.

"Voldemort will be unable to walk into the Ministry and gain access to it. The Aurors are constantly guarding the Ministry."

"I think we should put up our own security," said James. "I trust the Ministry, but I trust us more."

"I agree," said Dumbledore. "Let us continue questioning Mr. Pettigrew."

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It had been two weeks since Potter traveled into the past, Severus remembered as he waved his wand over the glowing white substance. He was hoping that Potter had suffered some horrible fate that had stopped him from changing anything in the past, but knowing Potter's luck, he had survived.

"It is done," said Severus.

"When do we leave?" asked Hermione.

"We?" asked Severus, surveying the girl.

"We're going with you!" she said defiantly. "You can't just leave us here. We want to find Harry even more than you do."

"No doubt that you two believe that you will help me, however, I do not need help," said Severus.

"We need to help Harry," yelled Ron from his chair.

"What are you going to do with us?" asked Hermione. "You can't very well let us go without our wands. We'll be captured or killed in the matter of days."

Though his face conveyed no emotion, his mind was moving rapidly. He knew there was truth in their words. "Fine," he said after a momentary silence. "I will hold onto your wands, however. If a situation arises where I feel you need them, they will be given back to you. I must warn you though, if you attempt to any sort of funny business, I will be forced to hex you and leave you where you drop."

Severus conjured several vials and filled each of them with the potion. The basin was half way empty now. "Ms. Granger, untie Mr. Weasley."

Hermione kneeled behind Ron and began to untie him. Her eyes were focused on Snape. She leaned into Ron and whispered. "Ron, after we go through what ever this is, we have to overpower Snape. We have to get our wands back and then find Harry. Don't say or do anything."

She finished untying him. They watched as Snape burned a circle on the ground. He then poured the contents of the cauldron onto the ground. The potion, glowing white, filled in the circle. He put his foot in as though testing the water. Instead of hitting solid ground, his foot went through.

"Together," he said to Hermione and Ron. They walked over to join him.

"On the count of three," said Hermione.

"One, two, three," Snape said slowly.

At the count of three, the trio jumped into the larger puddle, falling through the floor and through time.


	9. Chapter 9

Hermione was the first to wake. She looked around, seeing only trees and grass surrounding her. The area was unfamiliar to her. Her mind began to wander. Suddenly the memories of the day rushed back to her. She looked around wildly, her eyes finally stopping on her red haired companion. She stood and ran over to him, dropping to her knees at his side.

"Ron," she called, shaking the boy vigorously. "Get up!"

After a minute or so of no response, he finally stirred. He sat up slowly, staring in the face of the girl. "Hermione?"

"Get up," she said as she rushed from his side. She ran over to the unconscious body of their former Professor and turned him on his back. Reaching into his robes, she pulled out three wands.

"Here," she said, tossing his wand back to him. "Get up. I'm not sure how long before he wakes up."

"Where the bloody hell are we?" Asked Ron, standing and dusting himself off.

"I don't know," Hermione responded quickly. She used her wand to tie up Professor Snape.

"How don't you know?" Ron asked incredulously. "You were helping him make the potion."

Hermione rounded on him, fury in her eyes. "You were in the room with me. Did you hear him tell me where the Potion would take us?"

Ron looked frightened by Hermione's tone. "No," he said quietly. He mumbled something under his breath before he looked around. "What do you think we should do with him?"

"I don't know," Hermione said. "We can't just leave him, can we?"

"It'd be no more than he deserved."

"We can't turn him in," Hermione said.

"Why not?" Ron looked at her wildly.

"At least not now!" Hermione looked at him. "Ron, he created this potion. We don't know what it has done to us, or where its taken us. We need him until we can find Harry."

"So how do you suppose we do that?" Asked Ron. "We'd be walking around with a known murderer. Not to mention the fact that Harry is wanted by the Ministry of Magic and we're his two known best friends."

Hermione paused, her mind racing. "We have to get to an Order member."

"Like who?"

"Your parents!" Hermione concluded. "We could just tell them what's happened."

"I guess," said Ron, feeling a bit apprehensive. If Bill told his parents about Ron's abandonment of Harry and Hermione, they would never let him live it down. "Let's go then," he finally said. Something about the woods they were in was unsettling to him.

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"Harry, this is war," began Professor Dumbledore. He and Harry were in Grimmuald Place. His parents along with his baby self were upstairs. Sirius had gone out, though no one knew where he had gone to. Peter was still tied to the chair, asleep now. "Peter Pettigrew has given us some new information, though nothing too monumental. I believe that the key to bringing down Voldemort is you. Harry, you have been here for enough time. The Order trusts you, or trusts you as much as they can. I believe that once Voldemort discovers that Pettigrew has been turned in, he will do something drastic."

"Something like what?" asked Harry.

"As to that, I have no clue," said Dumbledore. "But if I were to fathom a guess, I believe that Peter's relationship with Voldemort is like those of all his other Death Eaters. He regards him as a servant. However, I think that their relationship differs as Peter was kept closer to Voldemort than he intended. He most likely let something slip, as I do not believe Voldemort intends to let all his Death Eaters know what the others are doing unless absolutely necessary. I believe that now that we have this vital information, Voldemort will make an attempt to know the full contents of the prophecy."

"But why now, sir?"

"We have taken away the secret keeper. Severus knows nothing more about the prophecy. I doubt that he will want to make another move until he knows what he is up against."

"So what do we do?" asked Harry

"I will make sure that the Department of Mysteries is well guarded," said Dumbledore calmly. "However, Harry, you and I shall be embarking on our own tasks. The Horcruxes are the most important thing. Voldemort can not be truly defeated until they are all destroyed. I know it is late now Harry, but we must discuss this. What do you remember of them?"

Harry didn't have to exert much thought to think of the Horcruxes. They'd been on his mind constantly for the past few months. "There is Tom Riddle's Diary. Lucius Malfoy has that one. Marvolo Gaunt's ring is one too. You found it in the ruins of his house. There's also the cup of Hufflepuff's, and Salazar Slytherin's Locket. You also suggested that his snake, Nagini, might be a Horcrux. I don't think that's right though."

"Why not?" asked Dumbledore.

"You told me that Voldemort chooses to make Horcruxes with only the most important murders. You thought that Nagini would have been the sixth Horcrux, but now, it couldn't have been. He never attacked me, so he has no murder to create it with."

Dumbledore was silent for a moment before smiling and putting his hand on Harry's shoulder. "Your wit is amazing, my dear boy. If that's true, then we are doing quite better then we could have hoped. Voldemort only has five Horcruxes, four of which we know about." He paused for a moment, glancing up at the scar on Harry's head. "I wonder…" he mumbled quietly.

"What?" Harry asked.

"Nothing," said Dumbledore, and he stood and headed into the next room so quickly, Harry thought he had only seen a blur. He followed quickly. Dumbledore had already untied Peter Pettigrew and was levitating his body towards the Fireplace.

"Harry, I will be in contact with you. Our real task begins in the morning, for now, get some sleep. I sense that in the coming weeks you will be needing it."

Harry nodded and watched Dumbledore and Pettigrew vanish in a whirl of green flames. He headed up the stairs, hearing Kreacher wandering around somewhere above him. He climbed into bed and without removing his glasses, fell asleep.

00000000

Albus Dumbledore stepped out of the flames. Peter Pettigrew's body wavered a little before him, floating limp in the air. It was late, and the Atrium was mostly empty, save for the night guard.

"Good evening," said Dumbledore, striding past the man.

"Good evening, Albus," he returned. "Where are you headed?"

"I'm going to the Auror office, and then I believe that the Minister and I have matters to be discussed."

The trip to the Auror office was a short one. Dumbledore noted that most of the members of the office had gone home. Far off to one of the sides, a light was on in an office. Dumbledore knocked lightly on the door before pushing it open. He ended his spell and the unconscious body of Peter Pettigrew landed with a soft thud on the floor.

"Dumbledore, who the hell is that?" asked Rufus Scrimgeour, head of the Auror office.

"That is the body of a Death Eater, by the name of Peter Pettigrew. Check his arm, the Mark is there," said Dumbledore. "Do not worry, Rufus, he is still alive."

"How?" was all the shocked Head of office could manage to say. The Ministry of Magic had been having quite a bit of difficulty identifying Death Eaters. Dumbledore had managed to capture one.

"That is not important right now," he said. "I have questioned him, but there is no doubt you will want to do the same. Perhaps he will have useful information."

"I owe you one, Dumbledore," said the man as he bound the Death Eater.

"I must be going now," said Dumbledore. "I need to speak to Cornelius before I get back to my school. Goodnight, Rufus."

"Goodnight," said the man.

Dumbledore then made his way up the elevator to the office of the Minister of Magic. The two had corresponded only a few nights before. Cornelius Fudge was a very unsure man. As Minister of Magic, he was constantly faced with tough decisions to make. He constantly found himself consulting Dumbledore on some of the most simple of matters.

Dumbledore knocked lightly on the office door. He hoped that Cornelius hadn't gone home early. Hearing no response, he knocked again.

"Come in," came a voice from inside.

Dumbledore pushed his way into the office. Fudge sat behind his desk, a mound of papers on either side of him. "How can I help you tonight, Dumbledore?" asked Fudge, glancing up from a stack of papers.

"Cornelius, I'd like you to raid the Malfoy Manor again," said Dumbledore simply.

This had gotten Fudge's full attention. "What? Why?"

"A Death Eater has been captured. I have information that leads me to believe that the Malfoy's are harboring something that will certainly lead to the downfall of Lord Voldemort."

"Dumbledore, I need my Auror's," whined Fudge. "I can't just go giving them away to you just because a Death Eater has given you information."

"Cornelius," began Dumbledore, and it was obvious he was losing his patience, "I am not asking you for your Auror's. Truth be told, there are very few people in the Ministry that I feel I can trust. I have my own people that I would like to search his home. I am merely asking for your permission to carry out the search."

Fudge screwed up his face for a moment. He surveyed Dumbledore for a moment. "Fine, Dumbledore," he finally said. "But if you find anything of interest, the Ministry, and more importantly me, gets full credit."

"Of course," said Dumbledore. With a nod to Cornelius, he strode quickly from the room, heading back to Hogwarts.


	10. Chapter 10

"We will be leaving at Midnight," said Albus Dumbledore, standing at the head of the largest table in the kitchen of Number Tw

Author's Note: Sorry this has taken so long to get up. I promise another chapter later this week.

"We will be leaving at Midnight," said Albus Dumbledore, standing at the head of the largest table in the kitchen of Number Twelve Grimmuald Place.

"Why so late?" Asked Sirius.

"I would like to maintain the element of surprise," said Dumbledore. "As you all know, the Malfoy's are Death Eaters, and if we should chance upon a few more of their kind, it would be in our favor."

"I see," Lily spoke up. "If there are Death Eaters in the Malfoy Manor, then we have reason to bring in the Malfoy's. But Professor, what are we going there for? You said we're not looking for people but for an item."

Dumbledore smiled kindly. "I am sorry Lily, but I cannot tell you just yet. When the time is right, I believe that Jonathan be more than willing to tell you what you would like to know." Dumbledore clapped his hand on Harry's shoulder.

"He's going?" Moody asked, surveying Harry up and down, his magical eye whizzing around in his head.

"Yes, Alastor," Said Dumbledore. "I am afraid that I cannot say for certain what we are looking for, and without his help, the entire night would be a bust." Dumbledore smiled kindly at the confused faces in the room.

It was obvious that Moody didn't want to trust Harry, but he growled his approval.

"Who else is going?" Remus asked.

"I believe that a medium sized party will be best," Dumbledore said. "Along with myself and Jonathan, we shall take Lily, James, Sirius, and Alastor."

Remus looked disappointed. Dumbledore seemed to have noticed it. "Remus, I believe that you may indeed end up playing a role. However, tonight is not the night for it." He paused for a moment, waiting for another person to speak. When no one did, he continued. "I will see you in a few hours then. I must get back to the school as I hate leaving my students." He smiled before stepping into the fire and disappearing in a swish of green flames.

Harry had gone back to his room after Dumbledore left. He felt a lump in his throat and a feeling in the pit of his stomach. It was his nerves. Fate had handed him a cruel hand by throwing him back in time, but once he figured out when he was, he thought things would be different. But once again, he found himself caught up in the hunt for the Horcruxes. He knew that a long road lie ahead of him, and he found himself wishing that Ron and Hermione were there with him.

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"There's the house, Ron," said Hermione, pointing to the bottom of a hill. The Burrow had never looked more welcoming to her than at that very moment. "We need to be careful though. It's under surveillance."

"I wonder who's home," said Ron, taking in a deep breath and smelling his mother's cooking wafting up the hill.

"If you two untie me now, I may spare your lives when I do get free," said Snape. His voice was colder than it had ever been before, sending a chill down Ron's spine.

"I thought you silenced him," Hermione said, rolling her eyes and walking over to Snape.

"You two do not know what you are messing with. That potion was not merely some transportation, you idiot girl." His mouth opened and closed breathlessly. Hermione had placed a new silencing charm on Snape.

"About time," Mumbled Ron as they began the decline down the steep hill. The sun had just about disappeared, leaving behind only rays of purple and orange light.

They stopped a few yards from the house. "I brought the invisibility cloak," Hermione said, now reaching into her bag to grab it. "I managed to grab it at the last second."

"Why do we need it?" asked Ron. "The house is right there."

Hermione looked at him and sighed loudly. "The house is being watched," she said. "Put this on." She draped the cloak over Ron, his tall frame disappearing.

"What about you?" asked Ron.

Hermione sighed again. She whipped her wand hard over Snape and then over her own head. She had cast a Disillusionment Charm.

They reached the front gate, pushing their way through. The familiar squeak as it opened and closed gave Ron a rejuvenated sense of feeling. He looked around, happy that the cloak was keeping him hidden. He looked to the spot where he believed Hermione to be and took a deep breath.

Knocking on the door gently, he heard a few people shuffling around inside. He knocked again, this time hearing someone rushing to the door. His mother opened the door slowly, her wand at the ready.

"Who's there?" she called, not seeing anyone.

Ron threw off the Invisibility Cloak and smiled at her. "Hello Mum," he said, his smile bright.

"ARTHUR!" She screamed. "Stupefy," she yelled, her wand pointed at Ron.

"Protego," Hermione yelled, and an invisible wall erupted between them. Mrs. Weasley's spell rebounded back on her, and Ron was thrown a few feet back. Hermione ran to him, making sure to have a good grasp on Snape as well. With a small pop, the three vanished.

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The small group of five people appeared with several pops outside a large gate. Manicured hedges were on either side of the menacing gate. Dumbledore drew his wand. A small beam of light came from the end as he pushed his way through the gates.

Harry looked around. The house looked menacing from the outside. He thought it strange that he would be seeing the place where Draco Malfoy was to grow up. They walked slowly, seeing a few dim lights on through the dark windows.

The walked up the front steps, their feet making little noise as they made their way. "Wands at the ready please," Dumbledore whispered. Harry's hand dove into his robes and pulled out his wand.

Dumbledore mumbled a few spells before they entered. Harry assumed they were to stop apparition. With the most casual flicks of his wrist, the door burst open and he strode inside.

"Alastor, I'd like you to stay close to this door in case anyone tries to escape," Dumbledore said. Mad Eye didn't look too excited about being kept on guard duty, but he stood by the door nonetheless.

They proceeded quickly through the house. Harry was almost at a run, trying to keep up with the long strides of Dumbledore.

"Dumbledore!" came a voice from behind them.

They turned and saw a much younger looking Lucius Malfoy coming out of one of the rooms. His wand was drawn and there was cold fury in his eyes. He looked at the group in front of him, wondering if he should fire off a spell or not.

"What are you doing in my home? How did you get in?" He asked.

"We have a warrant to search the property," said Dumbledore.

"Warrant?" He looked Dumbledore up and down as he handed over the piece of paper. "After all the money I have donated?" He mumbled something under his breath. "I'll see about this!"

"Please do," said Dumbledore slowly. "In the mean time if you would be so kind as to point us in the direction of your library."

Again, surprise crossed Lucius' face. "The library?"

"I don't believe I stuttered," Said Dumbledore.

They continued on, making their quick strides to the library. Lucius had gone back to his bedroom, no doubt to contact the Minster or even Voldemort.

The Library in Malfoy Manor was quite large. A large wall had two bookshelves, each going from ceiling to floor, filled to the brim with books of varying size and color. Another wall had two large windows, showing the moon and trees just outside. The other wall had a fireplace with a very small fire and two large arm chairs in front of it.

"What are we looking for?" asked Lily, staring at the many books.

Harry looked to Dumbledore who nodded. "Er…we're looking for a diary. It looks like an ordinary book and its blank inside. You'll know its the one we're looking for if you write to it and it writes back"

James and Lily exchanged a look. If they found the instructions strange, they didn't voice their concerns. Harry stood back and pulled out his wand.

"Accio Diary," he said. He wasn't surprised when none of the books on the shelf came down. He picked an area off on the other side of his parents and began pulling books from the shelf, looking through each one. Dumbledore was checking books as well for a little while before leaving the room. All he said was that he would be back.

Harry continued searching, making his way through several shelves of books without much luck. The house was eerily quiet. He found himself hoping to see a glimpse of the young Draco Malfoy, though he didn't know why.

"This is it," Whispered Lily from the other end of the room. Harry stopped his search and ran to her, taking the book from her hand and examining it.

"I think you're right," he said. "Do you have a quill?"

She ran to the desk and grabbed a quill and a bottle of ink. Dipping the quill in ink, she handed it to Harry. He held it in his hand before scribbling something down.

_My name is Harry Potter, _he wrote. At first, nothing happened, but soon small neat handwriting appeared just underneath his.

_Hello Harry, my name is Tom Riddle._

Harry slammed the book closed and smiled.

"Is that it then?" asked James.

"Yeah, we can go," said Harry. He was about to ask did either of them know where Dumbledore went off to, but the door opened and Dumbledore walked back inside. Before anyone had a chance to ask him about what he had been doing, he clapped his hands together and smiled.

"You've found it," he said and his periwinkle eyes tinkled.

"Sir, where did you go?" asked Lily.

"There is not enough time to explain right now," he said as he opened the door once more and began walking down the hall, closely followed by Lily, James, and Harry. The reached the front door quickly. Mad-Eye was standing in front of the door. Three people were unconscious in front of him, each of them held by ropes.

"What happened?" Asked Harry, looking down at the unconscious body of Lucius Malfoy. His eye was swelling and darkening, apparently the work of a well aimed fist.

"He tried to lead them out," Moody growled. "I stopped em."

"Looks like he did a lot more than that," James whispered in Harry's ear as Lily and Dumbledore levitated the body of the unconscious Death Eaters outside.

"Let's take them in," said Dumbledore. He and Mad Eye levitated the body, opening the front door.

"Sir, what about his wife and child?" asked James, peering down the hallway at the attractive figure that was Narcissa Malfoy. Though she was still quite some ways down the hall, the sneer on her face was obvious. She was wearing a nightgown and her hair was flowing over her shoulders. Harry got a look at the young Malfoy. He was in his mothers arms. There was a look of sorrow in his eyes though no tears. Harry wondered if he knew what was going on or if it was a permanent fixture on his face.

"Leave them be," said Dumbledore. He peered down the hall, his periwinkle eyes twinkling.

"But sir, she'll contact Voldemort?" Lily said.

"I have no doubt that she will," said Dumbledore. "But that is not our concern. We came to get what we came here for, and lucked out on getting a few Death Eaters as well. I hope that some sort of questioning will be able to help us."

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"Where are we?" asked Hermione after they had apparated a few miles away from the Burrow. They were in a clearing in a forest. Ron was trying to get a fire started while Hermione had Snape leaned up against a tree. She pointed her wand at him and removed the silencing charm. Now that he was able to talk however, he didn't say a word. A smirk formed on his lips and he merely stared at her.

"Where are we?" Hermione asked again. Ron joined her after starting a roaring fire a few yards behind them.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"He won't tell us where we are," said Hermione. She rounded on Ron. "Have you set up the tent yet?" she asked.

He tried to stammer something but she continued.

"And what about protective spells? Have you double checked them? Is there fresh water around? I don't have my sack anymore so we don't have much food."

Ron marched off, mumbling something under his breath. Hermione turned back to Snape. "Where are we?"

He finally spoke. "I tried to tell you earlier, but you would not listen you insolent little girl."

"You have my attention now," said Hermione and her voice softened.

"I would hope so," muttered Snape, now trying to keep himself sitting up. The ropes that bound him were not helping. "Remove these ropes."

Hermione looked apprehensive.

"Ms. Granger, If I wanted to do you harm, I would have spent my night chanting a jinx on either of you."

Hermione seemed to be reasoning with herself. She finally decided that it would be better to let him free. She released the ropes that were holding him. He stood and stretched, relishing in his new found freedom

"My wand?" he said, holding out his hand.

"You get it after you tell me what I want to know," Hermione said.

Snape nodded begrudgingly. "Well?"

"Where are we?" she asked.

"It is not a where, Ms. Granger," said Snape slowly. "It is a question of when.

For the first time in her life, Hermione Granger didn't know what to say.


	11. Chapter 11

Author's Note:

**Author's Note:** Here's the next chapter folks. Thanks for all the support! Keep reviewing! It's a little shorter than usual but its out quicker than usual too. Also, I'm an Experienced Beta Reader and I'm free to help those who want my help.

"Excuse me?" said Hermione after trying several times to speak but having no success.

"We are not in our time anymore," Severus said as though it were the simplest answer in the world.

Hermione's mind moved fast. "What do you mean?" she asked, staring at him as though he was crazy. "Time travel is impossible. Even with the use of a Time Turner, you can only go back a few hours each time."

"Time Travel is impossible?" Snape looked at her. "Think of what you have seen so far and tell me if something is not off."

Hermione's mind raced. She was only vaguely aware of Ron moving a few yards behind her. Her mind's eye went over all that had just happened. The Burrow didn't look as run down as it always had. She remembered that she had heard children inside. Mrs. Weasley had looked a lot younger and thinner than she had in recent months. It could have been stress, Hermione tried to reason, but she knew better. Her mind arrived at the conclusion she hadn't wanted to believe. "How?" was all she managed to say.

"My potion," said Severus rather proudly. "I created it myself."

"Where…excuse me…when are we?" Hermione asked.

"It's the year 1981," he said. "November 14th to be exact."

"It's the same day?" she asked. Somewhere off in the distance of the forest, something moved. It sounded like an animal. She couldn't see what it was.

"I wanted to come back earlier," said Snape, though he appeared to be talking to himself. His dark eyes gazed up, looking to the darkness of the night sky. Bright stars were above him as the crescent moon was high in the sky.

"What's going on?" asked Ron, running to Hermione and pulling out his wand. He pointed it at Snape who merely stared at him. "Hermione?"

She reached into her bag and pulled out Snape's wand. Without hesitation she handed it back to him. He held in his hand as though getting familiar with it again. He sighed heavily, feeling relieved. Not having a wand makes a wizard feel naked.

"What in the bloody hell is wrong with you?" asked Ron, looking at Hermione in confusion.

"We're working together now," said Hermione simply. She turned her attentions back on Snape. "How does the potion work?"

His eyes focused on hers. "It is a very complicated potion. However, basically it involves some of the rarest potion ingredients known to man. It is _the_ most complicated potion I have ever come across."

"Did you invent it?" asked Hermione.

"No," said Snape slowly. "I got it from…someone."

Hermione waited for him to explain more, but he didn't. "So, why did we come back to this year instead of any others?"

"I had my reasons," said Snape. He appeared to be eager to change the subject. "We need to find Potter."

Hermione and Ron's eyes bulged. "Harry's in this time too?" Ron asked, apparently forgetting that he was supposed to be angry with Snape.

"Yes, he is," said Snape, apparently just noticing that Ron was there. "I just hope he hasn't done any permanent damage."

"I doubt it," Ron said.

Hermione and Snape turned and looked at him, the same expression on both of their faces.

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"So when do we destroy it?" Harry asked Dumbledore. He and the Headmaster were in Harry's bedroom at Number Twelve Grimmuald Place. Harry sat on his bed; the diary of Tom Riddle was on the end table next to his bed. Dumbledore stood in front of him, his face illuminated by the brightness of the room. Though his eyes were focused on Harry, he seemed to be staring right through him.

Dumbledore didn't say anything for a moment. When he did speak, he spoke slowly as though debating what his next words would be. "I believe," he began, "that it should be destroyed as quickly and as quietly as possible."

"So which method do we use?"

"I believe that using the Sword of Gryffindor would be best, as it is our most accessible means to destroy it," said Dumbledore.

"Right now then?" asked Harry, peering at the clock. They had just gotten back from the Ministry of Magic after dropping off the Death Eaters they captured. James could be heard snoring from the room next door, and on the other side, Sirius was following suit. Harry turned and looked out the window, seeing the purple and red-orange lights of the morning sun rising.

"No Harry," said Dumbledore. A ray of light came through the window, shining on his face and illuminating the old man's face. "I will take the diary for the night. I must admit that I am a bit tired as well. However, I'd like to take it back to the school and study it."

"No problem," said Harry, not trying to sound like he was rushing the Professor, but his eyes were starting to burn from lack of sleep.

"I will see you tonight," said Dumbledore, opening the door to the bedroom. He paused for a moment. Harry saw a gleam of something in his eyes but couldn't tell what it was. "Harry, I may soon ask you to do something for me," he said slowly. "Loosing his top followers may set Voldemort on edge. If he prepares to retaliate, I will be needed."

"Sir?" Harry looked at him, perplexed.

"I will explain it all at another time Harry," said Dumbledore. He smiled weakly at him before closing the door, leaving Harry alone in the room. He lay back in the bed and peered out the window. His thoughts were his company now.

In one room were his parents, and in the other was Sirius. In all his life, he had wanted to be so much closer to them. Now that he had the chance, he had never felt more far away. He refused to try and get close to them because he knew that there was every chance his mission would fail and he would be forced to return to his own time without them. His mind wandered to thoughts of his friends.


	12. Chapter 12

Author's Note: So I don't know how I let so much time pass before I updated this. And after a while I just stopped trying but every now and then I would get a PM asking when and if I was going to finish. Well, let's see if I can get the old magic back!

The night came quickly to Grimmauld Place. Harry awaited word…on anything. He wanted to know if Voldemort was going to retaliate or try to break into Azkaban to break out Lucuis. When would they be destroying the diary? Harry didn't let these thoughts keep him from spending time with his parents. He was enjoying himself more than they would ever know. He was learning their habits and likes and dislikes. Things that other people took for granted, he cherished.

Dumbledore soon arrived at the old manor. Yet another meeting of The Order was starting. They discussed the usual topics, but there something Harry overheard grabbed at his heart. Mrs. Weasley was recounting to Moody how someone had shown up at The Burrow dressed up like a Weasley. He moved quickly across the room and listened in, and soon interrupted with questions of his own.

"Mrs. Weasley," said Harry with a knot in his stomach, "what did this boy look like?"

She gave him a puzzled look as though it should have been the last thing on his mind. "He looked…well like a Weasley. But he called me mum. He was tall and skinny. If he were one of my lot, he'd be better fed."

"Was he alone?" asked Harry with baited breath.

"Yes," she replied. She paused for a moment. "Well now that I think about it…"

"What?"

"Well I tried to stun him, and I would have hit him but someone else cast a shield charm. It sounded like a girl but I didn't see anyone there."

"Thank you," said Harry and he rushed back out of the room, trying to find Dumbledore.

Once he found the old man in the hall way, he recounted to him what happened. Dumbledore gave him a puzzled look.

"What does this mean?" asked Dumbledore.

"If Mrs. Weasley is right, then my friends are here." Harry smiled.

"And if Molly is correct, then one of your friends is a Weasley, correct?"

"Yes," said Harry. "What does it mean?"

"We need to find your friends Harry," said Dumbledore, his eyes now twinkling. "The fact that they tried to make contact with other people shows that they don't know where or when they are and this is a very dangerous time to be without friends."

A thought suddenly occurred to Harry. "If they somehow managed to come back here, then what about Snape? He's the only one who knows how to make the potion. So either he's with them or he's not."

Dumbledore looked thoughtful for a moment. "I believe that Severus is the least of our concerns. He alone knows how to create the potion and he alone knows how it works. If it was indeed his intentions to come back to this time, whatever the reasons may be, he knows what was at risk."

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"Where do we go?" Hermione asked. Her brown eyes stared at her former Potions Master. Ron sat beside her. His hand lay entangled with hers. "Where do you think Harry would go?"

"If Potter has indeed realized when he has traveled back to, then undoubtedly his first thought would be to save-"

"His parents," said Ron.

"But," interrupted Hermione, "that was two weeks ago. Regardless of whether or not he saved them, he would try and find help. He would go to Hogwarts, and more importantly Dumbledore."

"Well let's go then," Said Ron.

Snape surveyed the red haired boy with an icy glare. "Idiot boy," he said. "We can't just waltz into Hogwarts. At this point in time, you two aren't even able to hold wands yet. A younger version of myself is no doubt just starting his teaching position. And most importantly, the Dark Lord is at his highest point. Hogwarts Castle is undoubtedly the most protected place in all of Europe right now."

"So then what do we do?" Asked Ron. "We could try Grimmauld Place!" he said excitedly.

"That could work, but we don't know where it is in this time," said Hermione. "I'm not sure how the Fidellus Charm is going to work."

"There is one person who can help us out," Said Snape as he stood.

"Who?" Asked Ron.

"Me," He replied.

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"Would you care to do the honors?" Asked Dumbledore. It was around two in the morning and the pair was in one of the upstairs bedrooms of Grimmuald Place. Dumbledore handed the Sword of Gryffindor to Harry.

"Are you sure?" asked Harry, taking the sword in his hands.

"Yes Harry," Dumbledore said. "You have more than earned the right to destroy it."

"You might want to cast a silencing charm around the room," said Harry.

The task of destroying the first Horcrux was both much more and much less than Harry expected. The fraction of Tom Riddle's sould that was contained inside the diary indeed showed itself and gave all sorts of curses and threats. But it was nowhere near as strong as it was when Harry encountered it in his second year. It screamed loudly when it perished and ignited into flames.

"Quite a spectacle," said Dumbledore after it was done.

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The younger Severus Snape entered his flat exhaustedly. He had a long day and was feeling beyond tired. It was wearing on both his mental and physical state to be a spy for Dumbledore and if not for his love for Lily, he would have given up. He entered into his simple kitchen and poured a flass of firewhisky. He drank it rather quickly and slammed the glass back down. It was too late for his to move. He heard the noise behind him and turned just in time to see the face.

"You?" He said, staring up at what appeared to be himself only older.

"Yes…you," replied the older Snape.


End file.
